RCAM SOCOM holds Faith Lens 2018

The Commission on Social Communications of the Archdiocese of Manila will hold a film festival on World Communications Day.

Faith Lens 2018 is the first Archdiocesan Film Festival organized by the Social Communications Ministry of the Archdiocese of Manila that aims to utilize the technical skills and develop the creativity of the SOCOM ministers using a professional or cellular phone camera as well as to promote Catholic faith and values in one minute.

The festival is open to all the members of the Social Communications Ministry of parishes in the Roman Catholic Ecclesiastical Province of Manila.

Faith Lens 2018 is a one minute video making contest that dwells on the theme used by Pope Francis in his message for the World Communications Sunday 2018, “The truth will set you free’ (John 8:32), Fake News and Journalism for Peace.”

Interested participants are requested to send via email their letter of intent at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. from April 10-22, 2018. All entries must be original and have not been submitted or exhibited previously in other similar contests.

The participating parishes are allowed to make use of any kind of production equipment, be it mobile phone, DSLR, or any type of video camera and any kind of editing software to produce entries. Predominant use of visuals and/or image and minimal dialogue are highly encouraged.

All participants are also requested to submit at the Office of Communications a poster promoting the video entry (.PNG for the format, 600 x 749 pixels for the size) and an endorsement letter signed by the Parish Priest endorsing the video entry.

The deadline line for submission of entries is on May 4, 2018.

All entries will be judged based on the following criteria: Technical Aspect (25%), Relevance to the theme (25%), Concept (25%), and Doctrinal Soundness / Faith impact (25%), for a total of 100%.

There will be three proclaimed winners: Best Video, First Runner-Up, and Second Runner-Up for Best Video.Special Awards will also be given to the following: Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Editor, and Best Poster Design.

For the Best Poster Design Award, promotional posters of video entries will be uploaded on May 5, 2018 on the Facebook Page of the Archdiocese of Manila - Office of Communications.Tallying of valid reactions garnered only on the posts found on the said Facebook Page will end on May 7, 2018 at 12:00 NN.

The announcement of winners will be on May 12, 2018 in line with the celebration of World Communications Day, held annually on the Sunday before Pentecost, falling this year on May 13, 2018. The winning film entries will also be shown at the awarding ceremony to be held at the Arzobispado de Manila from 1 to 5 in the afternoon.

In his message for the World Communications Day, His Holiness Pope Francis called on the faithful to promote a “journalism for peace” in response to the worldwide spread of fake news.

“I would like, then, to invite everyone to promote a journalism of peace. By that, I do not mean the saccharine kind of journalism that refuses to acknowledge the existence of serious problems or smacks of sentimentalism. On the contrary, I mean a journalism that is truthful and opposed to falsehoods, rhetorical slogans, and sensational headlines. A journalism created by people for people, one that is at the service of all, especially those – and they are the majority in our world – who have no voice. A journalism less concentrated on breaking news than on exploring the underlying causes of conflicts, in order to promote deeper understanding and contribute to their resolution by setting in place virtuous processes. A journalism committed to pointing out alternatives to the escalation of shouting matches and verbal violence,” said Pope Francis. (Jheng Manalang Prado/RCAM-AOC)